Obama: High-speed broadband is a 'necessity'

(Image credit: Steve Pope/Getty Images)

A White House report shows that only 51 percent of Americans in rural areas have access to internet at 25 mbps, compared to 94 percent of urban Americans, according to a new White House report. President Barack Obama wants to change that by striking laws that prevent local communities from creating their own broadband networks, The Associated Press reports.

Right now, 19 states place limits on municipal broadband internet access, with many of those influenced by the cable and phone companies that stand to benefit.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up
Latest Videos FromThe Week
Explore More
Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.